The Forgotten Warrior/Chapter 12
Chapter description :Dovewing finds herself walking through shadowy trees and wonders if she she somehow found her way into the Dark Forest. She looks up and much to her satisfaction, she discovers that she can see the stars. She hears the wails of a cat in distress, and begins to search, but is unable to place the location of the increasingly upset wails. Dovewing panics and starts to run, but trips over a branch, and wakes up flailing her legs in her nest. She had woken up in the apprentices' den with Molepaw, Cherrypaw, and Ivypool, like always. She realizes that she can still hear the wails of distress. They are, however, very faint. She realizes that it is Sorreltail, and she is somewhere outside of the camp. Dovewing wakes up Jayfeather in his den, to tell him that she must be having her kits somewhere outside of camp. Briarlight groggily asks if she can come and help, too. Cloudtail is on watch at the entrance to the camp when Jayfeather and Dovewing scramble outside of camp. Dovewing hears that Sorreltail is near the lake. :Dovewing calls over her shoulder to Cloudtail to get Brackenfur to follow their scent trail. Jayfeather orders Dovewing to lead the way. When they get closer and closer to the she-cat giving birth, Jayfeather yowls that they are coming to help. Dovewing recognizes the place where Sorreltail is as near where she took her walk with Bumblestripe. Sorreltail is visibly very glad that the two of them came. Jayfeather orders the queen to lie still and comforts her by telling her that the kits will be born soon. Sorreltail moans that it hurts worse than her first litter of four kits. Jayfeather draws a paw gently down Sorreltail's belly and tells her that he feels the stiffness he was worried about and that is the source of the problem. :Sorreltail gasps that she did her exercises but her sentence breaks off into a shudder as a powerful ripple passes through her body. Dovewing suggests a poppy seed for the pain, but Jayfeather decides against the idea and after a moment's thought tells Dovewing to fetch some chervil root to help things along. Dovewing turns and races through the forest back to camp as fast as she can run. Along the way, she meets Ferncloud and Brackenfur coming. Brackenfur demands if his mate is okay. Dovewing responds that she will be, and that Jayfeather is with her. Dovewing, reassured that Sorreltail's mate and the Clan's most experienced queen were coming to help, the young gray warrior bounds into the stone hollow moments later. :As she makes her way through the thorn barrier, Brambleclaw, Dustpelt, and Thornclaw are there. Brambleclaw asks which way Sorreltail is. Dovewing nods, and Brambleclaw explains that they are coming to protect Sorreltail, since the sound of a cat crying out, and the scent of blood could attract foxes. The three cats then leave to follow the scent trail. Dovewing nods to Cloudtail, who is still on watch, and finally goes into the medicine den to retrieve chervil root. :Briarlight starts to ask how Sorreltail is doing, but Dovewing interjects and tells the crippled warrior that she needs chervil root and if she knows what it looks like. Dovewing sees a line of neatly placed herbs on the floor that Briarlight had set out because of the knowledge of Sorreltail kitting. Briarlight also suggests she bring some fennel for the pain in Sorreltail's hips. Dovewing picks up the herbs, thanks Briarlight, and sets out again. When she returns to the clearing, she sees Sorreltail still lying under the ferns, with Brackenfur bending over and licking her ears comfortingly. :Brambleclaw, Dustpelt and Thornclaw are still there, guarding them. Ferncloud then returns from the lake with a bundle of sopping wet moss so Sorreltail can drink. The tortoiseshell queen thanks Ferncloud and laps the water. Dovewing can tell how exhausted she is. When Dovewing puts down the herbs, Jayfeather jokes that he thought she went to the mountains for those. Dovewing explains that Briarlight sent the fennel. Jayfeather tells Dovewing to chew up the chervil root, and that Sorreltail can't do it herself. Jayfeather tells Ferncloud to break the fennel stalks and squeeze the juice into the birthing queen's mouth. :Ferncloud does as the medicine cat says. Dovewing finishes chewing up the chervil root, and Brackenfur urges Sorreltail to eat the pulp; the queen can barely get it down. Sorreltail yowls for Leafpool. Dovewing thinks that she is calling for the wrong medicine cat, but realizes that Leafpool at the edge of the tiny group. Leafpool tells her best friend that she shouldn't be afraid; Jayfeather knows what to do. Brackenfur hisses if there is something wrong. Jayfeather responds that kits take their time. Brackenfur purrs to his mate what she was thinking, leaving the camp like that, but Sorreltail responds that she needed air, and thought it would be cooler by the lake. :Brackenfur tells his mate to never frighten him like that again and stay where she is told next time. Sorreltail spits through gritted teeth that there won't be a next time. Dovewing sees a thick stick on the ground and hands it to Sorreltail, so she can bite down on it when the pains come. :Ferncloud announces that the first kit is a she-kit, which Sorreltail starts to lick before a second she-kit is born. Both Brackenfur and Ferncloud are delighted, but Dovewing thinks that they look too tiny and weak and that Sorreltail was too tired to care for them properly. Jayfeather then announces that Sorreltail is finished kitting and Brackenfur and Brambleclaw help to support the queen as they head back to camp, Dovewing and Ferncloud following with the kits. :The cats make it back to camp as dawn is breaking. Brightheart follows them in and tells Sorreltail that the nursery is ready. Daisy greets Sorreltail when they enter the nursery and Dovewing and Ferncloud set the kits down after she settles. The kits squeal to life as Daisy and Ferncloud lick them and Dovewing remarks that they might be okay after all. Jayfeather says that he will need to stay with the kits, but Brightheart turns him away, saying she knows what to do and she'll wake him if there's trouble. Jayfeather consents and Dovewing follows him out of the nursery. Dovewing enters her own den to find Ivypool, Molepaw, and Cherrypaw sleeping and she flops down to sleep herself. :Dovewing dreams that she is in a tangled forest, and that there are shrieks of agony from both cats and kits all around. She cannot find them or help. She then sees two kits on a rock, but before she can reach them an eagle grabs them both with its talons and flies off. As she screeches and leaps at the bird, she finds herself back in her nest. :Ivypool is standing over her and asks if she is okay. Dovewing replies that she is and runs to the nursery. She sticks her head in to see the kits next to her mother, feeding. Daisy purrs that the kits are fine thanks to Dovewing and remarks on her sharp hearing. Dovewing backs out quickly, not wanting to discuss her power. She bumps into Bumblestripe who calls her a hero and Dovewing is embarrassed, replying that any cat would do the same. Bumblestripe then says that he would have slept right through it and tells Dovewing he's glad she is his Clanmate. Dovewing touches noses with him and tells him that she is glad he is her Clanmate, too. :Later, Ivypool and Dovewing are in a hunting patrol with Millie, Spiderleg, and Birchfall, heading towards the abandoned Twoleg nest. Dovewing mutters to Ivypool that she thinks Sol is up to something. Ivypool slows down and asks her why. Dovewing replies that she can hear him talking from the far side of the hollow. Ivypool asks if she's sure and Dovewing says she is positive before Millie calls them. Ivypool tells Dovewing she'll cover for her and to go check out what Sol is doing. :Dovewing follows Sol's voice to find him with several ThunderClan cats, including Blossomfall, Hazeltail, Mousewhisker, and Rosepetal. They are talking about launching an attack on WindClan, which Sol is encouraging. Dovewing remarks that Sol is putting words into the young warriors' mouths to make them feel like it is their own idea. When Rosepetal suggests they should talk to Firestar first, the others shoot it down, saying that if they sort out WindClan Firestar won't be angry. Dovewing quickly leaves the bramble thicket as quietly as she can to find Ivypool. She then tells her sister that Sol is planning to attack WindClan. Characters Major }} Minor *Cherrypaw *Molepaw *Jayfeather *Briarlight *Cloudtail *Sorreltail *Brackenfur *Ferncloud *Brambleclaw *Leafpool *Brightheart *Daisy *Bumblestripe *Millie *Rosepetal *Sol *Mousewhisker *Hazeltail *Blossomfall }} Mentioned *Thornclaw *Lilykit (Not mentioned by name) *Seedkit (Not mentioned by name) *Spiderleg *Birchfall *Firestar }} Important events Births *Lilykit and Seedkit : Born to Brackenfur and Sorreltail Notes and references Category:Chapter subpages Category:The Forgotten Warrior Category:Omen of the Stars arc